Poisoned Rose
by MessedCHICK
Summary: Head Girl Rose Weasley has to face the reasons why she drank the firewhiskey that poisoned her, and Head Boy Scorpius Malfoy happens to be a big part of that. First attempt at fanfiction, and I'm quite proud of it. Please read and review!


Scorpius and I stare at each other from across the room. A large part of me, the part that remembers his ugly sarcasm our first few years in school, as well as his arrogance, not to mention his reputation with girls, still hates him. But the rest of me is actively remembering when I was sick and I got a letter delivered to me by a tiny owl, and all it said was "Get well soon. ~S" No sarcasm, no fluff, just "Get well soon". And I remember being back on rounds the day, somehow expecting something different, but he was still as sarcastic and obnoxious as ever. It didn't matter, though, because when I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, he was smiling more than usual, as if it was his own ability to be kind that healed me and so he was happy to see me. I suddenly struggle to remember what I saw approximately four hours earlier in the corridor.

"What do you want, Scorpius?" I ask, tiredly. The part that hates him winning out, "Why are you even here?"

"By 'here' you mean the hospital wing, I assume?" He asks, stepping forward.

"Yeah," I say, rolling my eyes. "That's what I mean."

His eyes harden, "Because you were poisoned, Rose." His takes a shaky breath, "By a bloody _Slytherin_, and I feel responsible." He pauses, looking at me, "You're Head Girl and I'm Head Boy, and we're supposed to prevent these kind of things."

I laugh, "It's hardly your fault, Scorpius. I'm the one who drank the firewhiskey, when I didn't know who it was from. And when I was hardly emotionally stable enough to make such a decision."

I laugh again, "It's ironic, really. And on top of that, it's moronic. I never touch firewhiskey, no matter the situation, and then suddenly I'm miserable and…" I trail off, not wanting to give Scorpius fodder against me. "Well, I'm poisoned, anyway." I groan, "That'll teach me."

Scorpius smirks, "Yeah, that'll teach you, Rose. Not to act like a normal teenager. Shame on you."

I stick my tongue out, "Thanks for your support."

His face changes in a second, and I see something in his eyes that's almost… _tempting_, but he's back to a smirk before I can investigate. I'm left wondering if I imagined it.

Something he said earlier finally registers, "How did they figure out it was a Slytherin?" I ask. I had guessed, but I didn't want to falsely accuse anyone.

His smirk dies, and he wipes his hand over his face, as if he's ashamed, "I over heard some pipsqueak fourth year laughing about how he poisoned firewhiskey and then tricked a Gryffindor into leaving it in your common room. He was laughing with some other idiots about how you drank it and you were in the hospital. I told Headmistress Dimeous as soon as I could and then I came straight here to see if you were okay." He half smiles, "And I guess you are."

I attempt a chuckle, "Yeah, well their poison was weak, at best. They should've paid more attentions in Potions." But the memory of being unable to breathe is still haunting me. Their potion _was _weak—it was the type meant to put you in bed for a couple of weeks, not kill you—but the combination of that and sadness did wonders to my reaction. Luckily Penny walked in right after I had realized what had happened, I choked up the word "poison" and she grabbed a bezoar that I started keeping in my trunk after Dad told me about his sixth year.

And why was I so bloody stupid, drinking my problems away? As if that would remove the image of two people in the corridor, hands everywhere…

He sighs, "I'm sorry this happened, Rose. Really I am." I hardly register that he used my first instead of my last name before I notice that his face darkens, "And once I get a hold of that kid, he's going to be jinxed to high heaven."

It's my turn to smirk, "No you won't. You're Head Boy. Headmistress Dimeous would kill you."

He half grins, "That rings with a certain truth."

I grin back, looking into his piercing green eyes before I remember why I'm even here. My grin fades into the awkward silence.

After a couple of moments of looking at each other, he makes a motion to the door, "Now that I know that you're okay, I should probably head back to do rounds."

"Yeah," I say weakly, hating that I have to say here for the night.

He turns to go, and images of his hands entwined in some girl's hair start to haunt me again. Before I can stop myself, I blurt out, "Are you and Reena dating?"

He pauses before he turns around, and I hate myself for bringing it up. _Why does it even matter? _"Why do you ask?"

His face isn't condescending, just curious, but I'm still careful in my response, "Well, I was, uh, walking down the corridor before…" I pause, searching for an excuse, "rounds, and I was going to Professor Longbottom's office, uh, to discuss Herbology, and I saw you and Reena, well, going at it." I stop, hoping he bought it, and hoping he forgot that I got permission not to do rounds today.

He looks at me, "By 'going at it' do you mean _snogging_?" he asks, trying not to laugh, and I'm relieved that he took the bait. At least partially.

I simultaneously glare and roll my eyes, "Yeah, Scorpius, that's what I mean."

"And by 'dating', do you mean _snogging_?" He asks, taking a step toward me.

"No, genius, that's not what I mean." I pause, "I mean, you know, _dating_, like hold hands-go to Hogsmeade together-snog in public-tell your parents-dating."

He pauses, "Well then, no, Weasley. We were just snogging."

I raise my eyebrows, "Really, Scorpius? You just snogged one of your best friends? Like it was nothing?"

He smirks again, _gah__, I hate that smirk_, "She offered up her services," He opens his arms as if ready to curtsy to the Muggle Queen of England, "And I accepted with as much gusto as she offered them."

I make a face, "You're disgusting, Scorpius. You shouldn't just snog any girl who will stick her tongue down your throat."

He holds up his hand, "Now, Weasley, there's no reason to be graphic." He shrugs, "She offered. She kissed _me_, so I accepted," He looks into my eyes, "It means something entirely different if I had kissed her."

"How was I supposed to know the difference?"

He snorts, "It doesn't matter if _the observer_ knows, Rose. It matters if the girl I'm snogging knows."

I look at him for a moment before I let my head fall into my pillow, simultaneously feeling disgust, misery, and relief, "Go away, Scorpius." I take a shaky breath in, "Thanks for appeasing my curiosity, but I'm tired now, so please… go away." I turn onto my side.

There's a pause as I begin to close my eyes, realizing that I really am tired, not just miserable because my birthday was awful and Scorpius just goes around snogging random girls, but really tired from my body fighting off a poison it shouldn't have had to. I feel worn out and my eyes are completely shut by the time Scorpius responds, "Okay, Rose," He says softly, "Feel better. Goodnight,"

I nod sleepily, and I hear the large hospital room doors close behind him.

And suddenly I'm glad that there's no one else in this room, because a tear is slipping from my eye and I can't seem to stop it.

~.~.~

My body feels weak from the poison, which Madam Janvie said was meant to freeze me in something akin to a body bind while I threw up repeatedly, but since the creator was an imbecile and I got the antidote pretty quick, instead of the intended results for days and then an aftershock for a couple of weeks, I would just be a little woozy and weak for only one week.

I'm changing into my warmer robes and sweater when Penny comes in and sits on my bed, "Are you sure you're up to this?" She asks, "You were poisoned yesterday, Rose. You're still sick. And… then there's Scorpius." She sighs, "Really, Rose, you don't have to put yourself through this. You're sick."

I look at myself through the single full length mirror that we have in the room, torn between looking really good and looking like I feel. I pull my frizzy curls hair up into a high ponytail and leave my makeup as I managed to do it this morning, settling on looking how I feel.

I turn to Penny, "Thank you for caring, Penny. Really." I give her my best smile, "But I'll be fine. I'm Head Girl. I'm in control, just like always, and I'll do rounds like I always do." She looks unsure, but she knows she won't stop me.

She stands up, "Okay, then," She tries to smile back, "I'll see you in the common room when you're done getting ready."

"No need," I announce, "I'm ready."

She looks even more doubtful- she obviously doesn't agree with the look I chose, but she shrugs and motions with her head to follow her.

As I do, I glance back into the mirror, _I really hope I'm ready for this._

_~.~.~_

I didn't tell Scorpius that I would be doing rounds with him like usual today, so when I meet him by the gargoyle in order to get any specific instructions from Headmistress Dimeous, he looks surprised.

"Should you be out of bed, Weasley?" He asks, and I notice that he's returned to using my last name, even though he let my first name slip a couple of times yesterday.

"Why wouldn't I be out of bed, Malfoy?" I ask, maybe a little too brightly and therefore a little too condescendingly.

He raises his eyebrows, "Good question," He shakes his head, "I guess you're fine."

He turns as if to walk away, and I call after him, "Hey, where are you going? We need to wait for Headmistress Dimeous,"

He turns backs, so that he's walking backward while facing me. Not very productive to watch the corridors, but he was never the best at observation anyway, "I already talked to her, and she said that there's nothing in particular to keep an eye out for, so we're in the clear."

His long legs are moving him fast, despite him not watching where he's going. I'm struggling to keep up, which is new, but I guess that my body isn't as up to walking around Hogwarts as I thought.

"Okay," I agree, and he turns to face the front, falling in step beside me, but propelling us forward with his, what now seems to me, abnormally fast walking skills.

We don't talk, partially because there's little to say, and partially because I'm out of breath and trying to hide it. Usually when we make rounds, he teases me about the rumors of me with a new guy, or one of my various cousins muddying my name, and I respond with a comment about Slytherin or being the son of a Death Eater, giving way to his sarcastic retort about my red hair or something of a similar nature. Our banter is almost old, but it keeps us entertained. And never has a night been so silent before. We'd always found _something _to talk about.

We pass the Transfiguration classroom, and suddenly the silence has gotten uncomfortable, so I'm opening my mouth in order to talk, when I hear he's speaking.

"What I don't understand is…" He pauses and I wait to hear this, but he doesn't say anything for another couple of moments.

"Yeah?" I ask tentatively.

He stops, turning to face me, and I stop too, my legs and mind happy for the break, "I thought that you asked for rounds off yesterday, Weasley."

_Oops_. "I did, originally…" I start, struggling to some up with some excuse that he'll believe.

"And Professor Longbottom's office is nowhere near the corridor that Reena and I were in, which I didn't even remember until today, but since it's occurred to me, I would like to know why were you even over there? By the dungeons?" He looks into my eyes, and I feel like he's trying to read my mind, "You told me two days ago that you were planning on spending your night off with Penny and Albus in the Gryffindor common room because," His eyes widen as he pauses. "_CRUD, _Rose, yesterday was your birthday!"

I nod, and start walking, ignoring the protests of my body, which is now rejecting every step I take. Exhaustion is sweeping over me, and any tears that I stopped from falling last night seem to be making a reappearance.

"GAH, Rose, I'm such a prat. I can't believe I forgot." He groans as he follows after me, obviously upset with himself, which I don't understand because it's not like _we_ had plans together. We didn't, so he shouldn't even be concerned…

He catches up to me, and grabs my upper arm, pulling me around to face him. He's got that look in his eyes as he looks into mine, as if he's trying to read my soul. He sees the tears in my eyes, and says quietly, "I wasn't the only one who forgot, was I?" He asks, and I shake my head, and the tears are really falling now, so I want to look anywhere but into his electric green eyes, but he's holding me there. "Bloody…" His smooth tenor voice softens, "Is that why you were miserable?" His hand is on my face wiping away my tear, and it feels so natural and so intimate. "Is that why you drank the firewhiskey that you found in the common room?"

I nod, but don't say anything. He wraps his arms around me, holding me tight to his chest. And I'm crying into his sweater, unable to stop. We've never even touched before, much less hugged, but it feels good and it smells like him. I never even realized he had a smell before, but apparently I do now. Who knew that Scorpius Malfoy was good at soothing someone upset? But he is, his fingers are playing with the ends of my ponytail and I can feel it at the roots of my head. He's not saying anything, but I can somehow hear whispers from his hand on my waist. But I realize that they're telling me untruths, about how this means more than just comfort. That he actually—Ministry forbid—_likes_ me.

I push myself away before I can keep thinking about the whispers, willing the tears to stop. "Thanks," I mutter, wiping at my eyes, as I turn to walk away.

He must be shocked, because he takes a few moments to respond, and I'm already halfway down the hall before he calls out, "Wait, Rose!"

I keep going, but he comes up beside me. He tries to pull me to a stop, but I'm unresponsive. "Rose, why were you by the dungeons yesterday?" His breath is ragged and I realize that he used most of his energy to catch up with me, which seems ridiculous because his legs often seem taller than most of the first years. "Why weren't you raging on your supposed 'friends' for forgetting your birthday?"

I ignore him, but he's so persistent, "Gah, Rose. Answer me. Were you… were you looking for-" He stops, seeing two Ravenclaw boys trying to hide behind some statues. HE groans, muttering, "I don't have time for this," Before switching to yell at the boys, "You're lucky that I'm in a good mood, boys!" I look at him, surprised, because he's in a terrible mood, but he continues without looking at me, "Go back to your dorms NOW, and I won't let Finch hang you by your toes in the dungeons tonight."

The boys are obviously upset that they were caught, but glad to be let off with a warning, so they book it back in the direction of the Ravenclaw dormitory, as Scorpius yells after them "And 20 points from Ravenclaw!" I hear their groans, and Scorpius turns back to me.

"Rose?" He asks, and I'm sort of shocked at what just happened, so I'm looking in the direction that the boys ran off in. Now instead of just ignoring him, I'm not responding because I'm trying to regain my bearings.

"Yeah?" I ask after a few moments, looking at him finally, and I take in everything about him. He looks a little dejected and confused, his green eyes dim, and his long platinum blond hair is messed up, as if he's been running his fingers through it.

His gaze meets mine head on, "Rose, were you trying to find me?" he asks, carefully, as if I'll bolt again.

But I don't, honestly so worn out that it doesn't seem worth it. Instead I just look away, "Why would you think that?" I ask, with the same careful precision that he used in asking me.

He sighs, and I look back in time to see his fingers run through his hair, which seems like a nervous tick I've never seen before; I'd only seen the over confident and arrogant Malfoy, not the human one. "It's the only thing that makes sense, other than you having a secret tryst with some guy down there," He snorts, "Which wasn't it, or you wouldn't have ended up in the hospital due to depressio n-induced poison."

My eyes don't stray from his, "You powers of observation are better than your magical ones," I say simply.

"So I'm right?" He asks, almost excited at the prospect. But I don't respond, and continue to stare blankly at him. He seems to take this as a yes, so he continues, "Why did you want to see me, Rose?"

I snort, "It doesn't matter, does it, Malfoy?" I notice him flinch at my use of his last name, as if I'm putting up some sort of barrier between us and he doesn't want me to, "Because, either way, you were already snogging Reena," I let out a choked kind of laugh, "All those rumors about you and many girls proving nothing less than true."

He stares into me. Not just at me, anymore, but it feels like he finally grabbed part of my soul and is attempting to reel it in. "Wait," He's thinking, and I can see the wheels turning, "'already'? What do you mean by 'already'?"

I don't want to answer his question, but I already feel too deep to stop now. So instead off snorting, I mimic his earlier sigh, "Penny and Albus forgot my birthday," I start, "Part of it was my fault, because I didn't remind them, but I expected them to remember, I guess." I close my eyes as if to stop the memories of the flawed logic that followed, "So I sat all alone in the common room for an hour, sad and upset and a little bit angry at being forgotten, and my logic got skewed up a bit, and I thought, 'you know who will keep me company?' And I wasn't thinking clearly, mind you, so I responded to my inner question with, 'Scorpius will keep me company. I like talking to Scorpius, heck I _like _Scorpius!' And so my inner monologue shut off and I left to go down to the Slytherin area, unsure really of the plan, because all I knew is that I had to see you." I pause, "To talk to you, because you would listen and be sarcastic, and I guess I thought that maybe…" My cheeks flash as bright as my hair, because this is embarrassing, but I can't stop now, not when I've already revealed so much, "…Maybe you would snog me. A little. And I wouldn't be so alone, because you would be there, just like you always seem to be when I need someone to banter with or to walk around with or to study with," the onslaught of memories of Scorpius listening patiently while I talked, or helping me with potions homework through whispers in the library hits me. They'd been blocked the night before by the sight of Reena's hands in his hair, and of hers in his.

I open my eyes now, too look at his reaction, and he's wearing this stupid looking shocked facial expression. I groan, "You know what? Forget it." I roll my eyes to look at the ceiling, "Sorry, Scorpius." I look at him, and his face hasn't moved a muscle, which would be hilarious if I weren't so nervous, "Don't just stand there!" I say, frustrated now, "_Do_ something!"

And he does.

Before I can even think to count to three, he's standing so close to me, and at four, his hand is at my chin, pulling it closer to his, and at five, his lips are on mine. _He _kissed _me._

I had no idea what he'd taste like, Scorpius. But he tastes like everything that is right and good in the world. I've lost all feeling except the feeling of his lips pressing into mine, coaxing my mouth open. I don't even think about obeying; I just do. It's as if he is looking for the deepest part of me. It feels so intimate, like he already knows every part of me, and is trying to make sure there is nothing left to discover.

I respond, and I rapidly become aware that his hands, which moved to my waist shortly after he began to kiss me, are holding on tighter, pulling me into him, and guiding me to a place where there is hardly any room left between us. My hands are no better, as they found his neck and seem to be pulling his as close as they can, trying to find me the deepest kiss possible.

And they're succeeding.

After what feels like an eternity of heaven, I pull back, my breath short and quick. His takes a similar turn, but that doesn't stop him from trying to drunkenly continue the kiss, reaching his lips back to mine within the second that I pull away.

But as much as I want to continue, my short breath is making me dizzy. Instead I rest my forehead against his, trying to regain control over my already-weak body.

It takes a couple of moments, but he seems to realize that I really do need a rest because of a physical inability, and not just because the kiss literally took my breath away. He switches his position immediately, moving to support my side and move me along while I stumble over to a bench that's serendipitously nearby.

He helps me sit down before sitting down himself, and pulls me into his shoulder. I realize that my ponytail holder has been removed when his fingers begin at the top of my head and move to the tips of my hair. It feels so good that I accept it as if it's something we've already done many times, rather than a new occurrence.

It's silent for a few moments before he whispers, "Man, Rose. I knew…" At this he takes a deep breath, "We really should've done that earlier." He turns to smirk at me, a Scorpius-smirk that I've seen about a million times, but his eyes are softer than they were before, "Let's do it again sometime,"

I laugh quietly, because I know that it's true and because it might be the closest we ever get to establishing that there is something here, something he's looking forward to continuing. I smile back into his eyes, and he drops a slow and simple kiss on my lips in a way that makes me feel like we should be in a private room. "Yeah," he whispers, "Let's definitely do that again." He drops a kiss on my forehead, and I lean into it, knowing that we should continue rounds, but I'm tired and comfortable. So instead, I just accept his warmth and our silence, completely content.


End file.
